Forbidden Steel
by Liliana Moon
Summary: In an age where women are looked down upon as being too weak and foolish, where women are forbidden to hold a blade, neither can they fight. One girl dares to dream and goes undercover as a boy to become the only woman Knight. Her Name: Sakura… Her Missi
1. Chapter 1

A.N.: Well here's the start of yet another Naruto fic. This story is based off the Alanna books….otherwise known as the Lioness Rampant series by Tamora Pierce. Great books if you haven't read them please do. Title sucks I know…leave me alone. It will not follow the books exactly… Parings will be decide later…Actually…I know whose going to be with who…but I'm not telling…well ..Not for now… Hehe… Anyways… On with the summary and Story….Wheeeeeeeeeee...

Disclaimer I do not own Naruto characters or the Plot line from the Lioness Books.

Summary: In an age where women are looked down upon as being too weak and foolish, where women are forbidden to hold a blade, neither can they fight. One girl dares to dream and goes undercover as a boy to become the only woman Knight. Her Name: Sakura… Her Mission: complete Knight training without being discovered. Will she be able to keep her secret for 8 yrs of knight training? Read and find out.

A girl of about the age of 10 stood in a courtyard outside her father's castle. She held a sword in her hand and was sweating from the physical exertion of the sword play exercise she was learning. She pushed her long pink hair out of her sweat soaked face. She narrowed her brilliant catlike emerald eyes in concentration on her opponent.

Her training master lunged at her and she barely had time to deflect the attack. He backed away from her looking for an opening. She did the same. She saw one and lunged for it. He was nearly able to block it but she used her speed to knock his sword out of his hands and spinning in to the air not far behind her. She held the tip of the sword to his neck. He grinned at her.

"Very good, Lady Sakura, you did very well today."

Sakura bowed to her teacher.

"It is only because I have a good teacher…thank you, Kakashi."

An arm swung around her neck and she was roughly pulled in to a hug.

"That's my Sakura! You did great ...Father is going to be so proud."

"Let go Haku…." Haku smiled at her. He was her older brother and a knight, something Sakura desperately wanted to be, but in the Leaf Kingdom's it was forbidden for a woman to even hold a sword, let alone become a knight.

Her father, Kakashi, Haku and her self could be put to death if Sakura was ever caught holding a sword…it didn't matter that they were high ranking nobles.

"Haku's right...I am proud of you. You're doing well Sakura…if only you were a boy. Then you could go on to be the best knight in the 7 Kingdoms." Sakura blushed and thanked her father…it was a rare treat to receive a compliment from hers and Haku's father.

"Second best, Father, I'm the best." Haku grinned, his arm still around Sakura's shoulders.

Their father smirked at them and said... "It is time for dinner …put your sword away Sakura and clean up for dinner…We have an important issue to discuss."

Sakura nodded bowed to her father, brother and then to her teacher and departed from them to go to her room and clean up. On the way to her rooms she wondered what her father wanted to talk to her about. Her father and brother where seated at the table when she entered the dinning hall, talking quietly. From the looks of it, what they were talking of was confidential.

"Sakura, there you are, took you long enough." Haku said loudly when he spotted her walking towards him and their father. A servant came and pulled the chair out for her on her father's right side. Both watched her silently while she sat and the servants began to serve dinner. What ever her father wanted to talk about…it was serious, but how serious she wondered.

After dinner had been served her father began to speak.

"Sakura, traditionally, young noble ladies such as yourself are sent to convents to learn how to be a lady."

He watched her while he said it and she felt her heart sink at his words. She didn't want to learn to be a Lady! She wanted to be a knight like her father and brother. She cursed the fact that she was born a female. She clenched her spoon tightly in her hand her knuckles turning white. Her father would not tolerate any out burst from her.

"They are there for 5 years before being sent home. They are at marriageable age then… but…a knight is sent to the palace for 8 years… So what do you want? Being away from home for eight years or for five years?"

Sakura's widened and she stared at her fathering shock at what she heard. Was this some sort of joke? He knew woman were not allowed to hold a blade much less become a knight. Her father watched her with a strange look on his face.

Lord Zabuza was known for dislike the laws on women not being allowed to hold a blade. "If there was ever a war then the women would be unable to defend them selves or their young." He always argued. Lord Zabuza was also known to have a great dislike for the King and Queen.

To help his daughter become the first lady knight in 100 yrs. he would be breaking the law he hated and dishonoring the King and Queen whom decided the stupid law… It made him happy to know that.

"Father, you know I wish to be a knight….but I am a girl….How would I become a knight?"

Her father smirked at her. "You'll know when you figure it out. Try to figure it out before tomorrow…I have a letter to write to either Duke Iruka of Golden Fox Forest or to Lady Head Mistress of the Convent of Lady arts."

She looked away from her father, she quietly said, "I could disguise myself…as a boy."

Her father's smirk widened it to a grin. She was a fast thinker…that would be a good quality to have as a knight. But would she be able to handle the hard path that would lead to knighthood? "Would you be will to go through the hardships that come with being a knight? And what about when you start to turn into a woman?"

Sakura looked at her father. He could see determination and a strong will in those young eyes. "I am willing to face those hardships. And about becoming a woman…I will deal with that when it happens…"

He nodded his head. "Then you will go to the palace to learn to be a knight…you will become the first woman knight in a long time! I'll write a letter to Duke Iruka in the morning…you will leave in one week daughter. Tomorrow you will get your hair cut by old lady Hyoku. Kakashi will go with you and stay as your manservant. What will you be called as a boy? Sakura is hardly a name for any boy."

"I will be called…" she thought for a second. A thought came to her. "Lord Saku..."

Her father nodded his approval. "Lord Saku it is then."

He finished his meal and before leaving the room he bid both his children goodnight.

Her brother got up after finishing his meal and walked over to her. He smiled down at her.

"Sakura…when you try to become a knight…..I want you to be the best there is…you'll have to be better than the boys…they have it easier then you do. Kakashi says you have potential. It'll be hard, but I believe you're up to it. And never let anybody know you are a girl...they will kill you…remember that…never tell about your identity until you get your knight's shield. Good night, sister dear."

"Good night, Haku"

One week later

Sakura was mounted on a gently grey mare named Wind. Her packs on a horse behind her, next to her Iruka mounted on his chestnut bay mare. He was muttering about something she couldn't hear. He had been grumpy since he learn she was going to the palace to learn to be a knight. Not that he didn't think she could pull of her disguise and become a knight, he thought she could. He didn't like the fact that he had been dragged into the plan.

Sakura waved goodbye to her father and brother one last time before easing Wind forward with a soft squeeze of her knees on Wind's sides. Kakashi's chestnut fell in beside Wind and the pack horses behind them, packed with her and Kakashi's stuff as the made their way slowly out of Leaflet Glen 's Court yard and on to the road that would lead them to the royal city Konoha. It would take four days to get there.

Four days later they rode in to the Royal City called Konoha. Sakura tried to look at so many different places at once. Her eyes and ears trying to take in the sites and sounds. The city was bustling with more noises and people than Sakura had seen in all her ten years.

Kakashi smiled at her. "A little overwhelming for the first time here, ain't it, little one?"

Sakura nodded. She kept looking around her at the busy market place. A boy a few years older than her with jade green eyes caught her eyes and he smirked at her.

"You're new in the city." He stated

She nodded and asked." How did you know?"

He smirked at this. "Well…"

He was interrupted by Kakashi who pulled his horse up beside her horse, staring lazily down at the jade eyed boy.

"Let's go… Lord Saku…We have a deadline to meet." He said to her before whispering. "Keep an eye on your purse."

The boy smirked, his jade eyes dancing in wicked amusement. "Yes, Lord Saku…you had better keep an eye on your purse there are suspicious men in this city."

"Yes, suspicious men, maybe the one who stands before us is one of those…" Kakashi muttered.

The boy smirked again. "Suspicious? Who me?" He asked before melting in to the crowds.

Kakashi and Sakura continued on their way to the Palace. When they reached the palace, Sakura stared at it was the rode through the gates. This would be her home for the next 8 years if everything went according to plan. A slender plain looking young man came to take their horses as the entered the large courtyard.

"I'll be taking your horses now, young noble, I am guessing you here to become a page, skinny little short thing you are, am I right?"

Sakura nodded not trusting her voice at the moment. Fear and exhilaration clenched at her throat. She was here. What if she was discovered? She would be beheaded. It was simple as that. Women were not allowed to hold blades, or impersonate a boy to try to become a knight. If discovered she would definitely be beheaded.

'Oh, that won't do, I like my head where it is…. I'll just have to be very careful and not get caught.' She thought.

Sakura and Sakura climbed off their horses and the man began to lead them away, before he called back to her and Kakashi

"Your packs will be placed in your rooms and I will be sending a servant to take you to Duke Iruka."

After that they waited for the servant in the courtyard. She was actually going to become a page and be on her way to becoming a Knight. That's if she survived the years here. If she could kept up with the other pages. They would be so much stronger than her, like Haku said; she would have to work harder then any of them. She would do it; she would become the best knight.

A.N.: I know a boring chapter but tell me what you think…. As long as I get reviews to continue, I will. This story is long and there will be romance later on. I will tell pairings later


	2. Chapter 2

_**Forbidden Steel:**_

_**Tales of the Lady Knight: part 1**_

_**A.N.; Thanks For the wonderful reviews everyone! They were soooo nice. Well here is the 2nd chapter! Wheeeeeeeeeee! Please put up with any grammar or spelling mistakes, my sister who supposed to help me edit, doesn't want to help any more! Oh and sorry for any oocness!**_

**Please remember even thought a person resembles a character or just because I'm using this plot doesn't mean that Sakura will end up with that certain person. Its possible thought… and I'm not going to follow the plot of the books too closely either.**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

_**Last Time-**_

After that they waited for the servant in the courtyard. She was actually going to become a page and be on her way to becoming a Knight. That's if she survived the years here. If she could kept up with the other pages. They would be so much stronger than her, like Haku said; she would have to work harder then any of them. She would do it; she would become the best knight.

_**-----------**_

"Duke Iruka will see you now, Lord Saku. Please follow me and I will take you to his study. You may call me Mara." The servant sent to get them said. She was of medium build and had mouse brown hair. She turned and started in to go in to palace. Sakura and Kakashi followed her through the maze that was the palace.

"How does one keep track of where they are going in this palace?" Sakura asked. Mara and Kakashi grinned at her.

"You'll be able to find your way after you've been here for a while." Kakashi said. Sakura nodded.

"Here is his Grace's study, please enter." Mara bow to them and opened a solid wood door for them. Inside the room, seated behind a desk strewn with scrolls, sat a handsome well dressed man with dark brown. He stood at their entrance. Kakashi and Sakura bowed to him. He nodded to them and said, "Please be seated, Kakashi and Lord Saku, do you have a letter from your …Father, Lord Zabuza?"

Sakura knew her father's dislike for Duke Iruka of Golden Fox Forest, but she had not known was Duke Iruka's dislike for her father. What ever he had been about to say about her father he changed it. Sakura with drew the letter from her father from and handed to Duke Iruka.

He opened the letter and began to read it as Sakura looked around the room. It was well furnished and well lit. Over the mantle there was a painting of the Duke's family. He and a blonde blue eyed boy stood, while the blonde blue eyed lady sat. The painter, who ever it was, was a great one. The painting looked almost life like. The lady was a breath-taking beauty, and from the expression in her eyes, she knew it. The blonde boy looked happy and full of life. The Duke's expression was composed and serious.

"Well then, Lord Saku, everything seems to be in order." The duke's voice startled her out of her musing. She turned and looked up at him.

"You understand you are here to learn, not play around, it will be a hard road to become a knight, but gods willing, you'll become one. Now Mara will take you to get fitted for page clothing and then to your rooms. Some nights you will be serving at the dinners. Not this week. You will serve me next week. If you get into trouble you'll be sent to me and punished with extra chores. You will have classes in the morning and weapon and defense classes after lunch, which is at noon. If you hurry you'll be able to have dinner with the pages. Now go. Kakashi, if you would like to stay, we can discuss your becoming one of the palace guards."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Sakura bowed and left with Mara.

After being fitted for her page's uniform, Mara guided her down winding hall ways to the pages wing and to her room where Mara left her with the parting words,

"Don't play pranks on the servants, unless you want to clean your own room and make your own bed for the rest of your years here."

Sakura's nervousness abated a little, she had gotten past the Duke and the man who had taken her sizes and was still here. "Well, I'd better get changed…."

Sakura quickly changed, not wanting to miss dinner and the chance to see the other pages. The tunic was a muted silver color and the under shirt was a midnight blue color. The colors complimented each other well. She smiled and finished changing. She had just finished changing when loud shouts from outside alerted her to the fact that the pages where out of their rooms and ready to go to dinner.

She opened her door and stepped out into the hall way, where she could see the other pages in a loose circle shout comments to the pages inside the circle. She could not see who it was but she heard voices.

"Think your better than everyone one do you, Inuzuka?"

"I never said that! You're the one who was telling us 1st years to bow and serve you!"

Suddenly the circle parted and a boy came hurling at her and slammed into her. She fell to the floor, hard. With a grunt of pain, she tried to push the boy off her. His eyes were closed and his face sported cuts and a broken nose. He had unruly brown hair cut short. She looked up at the boy who had thrown him. His honey-gold eyes stared at them and his lips were quirked in to a smirked that infuriated her. His long black hair was tied back out of his face.

"Oh what do we have here? A new page, huh? And who might you be?

Sakura glared up at the boy who looked a few years older than she. She managed to get the unconscious boy off of her.

She stood and answered. "Saku of Leaflet Glen, whose asking?"

The older boy grinned viciously at her, as he walked toward her and the other boy. "Your new master, Lord Orochimaru of Snake Ridge."

She spitted on the ground in front of Orochimaru. "I have no masters!"

"I was hoping you'd say that!" His vicious grin seemed to become more vicious, if it was possible. The boy on the ground chose that moment to regain consciousness. He stood up with a groan of pain, and looked up to see a boot slam into his face, hurting the already broken nose. He reeled backwards.

"After I finish with Inuzuka, I'll teach you to obey me, Leaflet, just you wait."

Sakura growled and could not just watch him beat up the other boy. To stop him from punching the boy again she threw her whole body against him, knocking him to the floor.

"Couldn't wait to get your butt kicked?" He pushed her off of him and picked her up by the front of her shirt.

"You are going to regret coming here, boy."

"The only one whose is going to be doing any regretting here is you, Orochimaru." A commanding voice growled.

Sakura was instantly released and she fell to the ground.

"Prince Neji…So good to see you, I was just teaching these pages the meaning of respect."

"Shut up, I know what you were doing, it's a good thing Inari came and got me. You remember what happened last time do you not?"

"I remember your highness."

Orochimaru shot a glare at short boy beside the prince, as Sakura stood up and dusted herself off. She examined the prince, and the 5 other boys that stood near him. Prince Neji had long chocolate colored hair and pearl eyes. He was not tall but not short either for a boy his age.

"Leave Orochimaru, now…out of my sight." The prince ordered. They watched Orochimaru leave and then turned to face Sakura, the new page.

"And just who are you?" Was the simple question directed at her. She felt her face heat up at all the attention she was receiving and answered softly, "Saku of Leaflet Glen, Your Highness." She bowed to him. She felt cool fingers touch her just under her chin and raise her face up to meet his. Her catlike emerald eyes stared into his pearl ones.

"I think it was a good thing you were in the hall way today, to help Kiba here. I know of your brother Lord Haku, but I did not know he had a younger brother."

Sakura's nervousness was back in full force as she tried to think of a reply. Fortunately she was saved from making one by one of the boy's that came with the prince as the boy commented on her height.

"Well, well you're a small one, even smaller than, Inari! I didn't think 10yrs. could be any smaller…are you sure your 10?" A blonde blue eyed boy said. He looked like the boy in the painting with Duke Iruka, just older, but not by much.

"I am 10...I am sure of it." She growled at the blonde boy.

"Oh, this one has a temper! Heh, I am Naruto of Golden Fox Forest." The blonde boy said grinning at her.

Sakura stared up at the blonde, so he was Duke Iruka's son. He looked nothing like the duke, but more like his mother in the painting.

The prince grinned at her. "Don't worry about him, He likes to joke around."

"And this stupid looking boy over here is Sasuke of Uchiha City." The boy in question glared at Naruto as Naruto started introducing the other 3 boys that were around the prince. Sasuke had black hair and cold onyx eyes. He nodded to her in greeting.

"The lazy looking one here is Shikamaru of Lazy Bird Lake." This boy really did look lazy with medium brown hair and lazy coffee colored eyes. Her father had told her that most of the lords from the Lazy Bird Lake were exceptional knights. She wondered if maybe this Shikamaru would turn out like the knights from his house.

"We are some of the 3td year pages, the prince is a second year page and that short one with the black hair is Inari of Nelic Port." So this was the one who went and got the prince and his friends. He was short compared to the other boys but still a head taller than she.

After Naruto finished introducing the five boys that had come with the prince, the other boys in the hall began to introduce themselves at the same time, Sakura tried to keep up.

"I'm Konohamaru of Hokage Fief!"

"I'm Lee of Rock Mountain!"

"I'm Choji of Fief Darken…"

"I'm Shino of Port Klenne…"

"I'm Kiba of Inuzuka Fief! Thanks for helping me, Orochimaru is a jerk." It was the boy she had defended from Orochimaru. His nose was dripping blood as the boy spoke. He wiped it away with his sleeve.

"You should go to see the palace healer, Shikamaru, take him please." The prince commanded softly. "I will speak to the Duke; I know you were supposed to serve tonight, Kiba."

Kiba said thanks and then left with Shikamaru. The prince turned to look at her once more. "We need to find you a sponsor…who will sponsor this one?"

"I will!" Naruto said smiling at her. The prince nodded his approval. "Come little one, I will show you about tomorrow; right now it's time for dinner." As if agreeing with him Sakura's stomach grumbled.

The other boys laughed. "Well I guess his stomach agrees." Naruto laughing said as he slung his arm around her shoulders and directed her to the mess hall.

The next morning Sakura groaned as she rolled over in her cot. A bell was ring in the distance; it was what had woken her up. She sat up and dragged herself out of bed. She yawned and looked over to the cot that Kakashi slept on. He had slept right through the bell. She figured he could sleep right through a horse stampede.

He being her servant shared the room with her. When she moved up to being a squire he would get his own room in the servant's quarters. She dressed quickly behind the changing screen Kakashi had set up at the far end of the room. After dressing she woke Iruka up and told him she was leaving. He wished her good luck and promptly fell back to sleep. She opened her door and sucked in air to clam herself. Nervousness and excitement rushed up and down her spine and anxiety gripped her heart.

'What if I can't do this? What if I'm not strong enough?' These questions raced across her mind as she shut the door and began walk in the direction of the mess hall, when she bumped into somebody she fell to the floor and groan.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my little servant , Saku of Leaflet…. "

Sakura recognized this malicious voice of Orochimaru. He was standing with another guy with silver hair. He didn't look much nicer than Orochimaru. "I am not your servant, Orochimaru!"

"Heh, apparently I need to continue the lesson from yesterday. And too bad for you…the other pages already left for breakfast, there's no one to save you now."

He smiled at her as she picked her self up off the floor, only to be knocked back down. She glared up at Orochimaru.

"I don't need any one to save me!" She stood up to face him. He picked her up by her shirt collar and said, "You are in for a lot of pain little servant." Then he punched her in the stomach and dropped her on the floor and began to kick her. She gasped trying to breathe. She rolled away from him and stood up as fast as she could and winced at the pain. He was suddenly there in front of her. He grinned at her and threw against the wall. The back of her head smacked the wall and the air was stolen from her again. She slid down the wall to the floor in pain.

Her head throbbed in pain. She waited for the next attack, but there was none. Instead there was a grunt of surprise and someone hit the wall beside her. She heard Orochimaru say, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be eating!"

Sakura opened her eyes to see Naruto and Sasuke standing a few feet from her. Orochimaru was being held by the collar by Sasuke and the boy who had been standing with Orochimaru was beside her unconscious. She stood up slowly. Her head just a big throbbing pain.

"Saku wasn't at breakfast and neither were you and Kabuto. It wasn't hard to figure out why." Naruto said winking at her. He walked toward her. "Wow, he did a number on you. Heh, you must be hungry and in pain. Eat this and after you finished, I'll take you to the palace healer. I pilfered the food from the kitchens since you missed breakfast. Go a head and eat!"

The food offered to her was cold ham, cheese, and bread; she took them gratefully and began to eat. The pain in her head began to subside as she ate. She was going to have a bump.

"I don't need to go to the healer, I'm fine, and we need to get to classes." After she said that Sasuke joined them. "I don't think he'll mess with you for a while." She looked pasted them and didn't see Orochimaru or Kabuto anywhere. She realized she had forgotten Orochimaru for a moment. She raised an eyebrow at him. He just smirked. They began to walk toward the wing of the palace where their classes were located.

TBC…..

A.N. Wheeee, sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out…. Job hunting takes a lot of time and effort. Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Forbidden Steel:_** Tales of the Lady Knight: part 1**_

_**A.N.: Thank you for the reviews! Sorry it took so long for the other chapter and this one! Forgive me! Please forgive any grammar and /or spelling mistakes and any oocness! On with story! Oh and TrueLoveHurts- I did plan on making it a ninja thing, But I don't know enough about ninjas! Waaaaa, sorry. Ninja training would have been better…. Ah well… Oh some one asked for the pairings. I guess I'll let you know what they are…sigh… here…**_ _**Pairings that will be: Saku/Sasuke, Saku/Neji, Saku/Gaara, Hinata/Naruto, Tenten/Lee, Temari/ Shikamaru, Ino/Choji. People's relationships change as people grow. Who will Sakura end up with in the end? As for other's relationships…I'm still thinking about those ones. Oh and I did think of doing this as a ninja thing instead of a knight thing…but…. I don't know that much about ninja's, I could have researched about them...but what can, I say…I'm lazy…**_

_**Disclaimer: …I don't… own…..NARUTO…or plot line…**_

_**Last Time-**_

"Saku wasn't at breakfast and neither were you and Kabuto. It wasn't hard to figure out why." Naruto said winking at her. He walked toward her. "Wow, he did a number on you. Heh, you must be hungry and in pain. Eat this and after you finished, I'll take you to the palace healer. I pilfered the food from the kitchens since you missed breakfast. Go a head and eat!"

The food offered to her was cold ham, cheese, and bread; she took them gratefully and began to eat. The pain in her head began to subside as she ate. She was going to have a bump.

"I don't need to go to the healer, I'm fine, and we need to get to classes." After she said that Sasuke joined them. "I don't think he'll mess with you for a while." She looked pasted them and didn't see Orochimaru or Kabuto anywhere. She realized she had forgotten Orochimaru for a moment. She raised an eyebrow at him. He just smirked. They began to walk toward the wing of the palace where their classes were located.

Sakura and the other two boys had gotten to their first class late. Their first class was mathematics. The teacher assigned them extra math problems for punishment of being late. Upon learning that Sakura knew all the basics in mathematics, he assigned more advanced problems. After she had been working on them for a short while a bell rung some where outside the tents where classes where held. The other pages got up and walked out of the tent to go to there next classes, as she scrambled to gather her stuff up and fly out the door after Naruto, Neji, and Sasuke. The next class was etiquette class, which was extremely boring to Sakura. After that class was history. She noticed a difference in the boys in this class. They were sitting up and attentive to the white haired older man. He looked different from the other teachers; he seemed more …well...easy going. His tunic was wrinkled and his hair was disheveled.

"So, we have a new face in this class, eh?"

"Yeah, Jiraiya, his name's Saku…just arrived yesterday." Naruto piped up, and then turn to Sakura. "You'll like this teacher, he's pretty cool, if you discount the fact that he's the court pervert, chases anything in a skirt."

"I do not….and I am not a pervert… I just like the female anatomy…." Jiraiya retorted. Laughter broke out among the boys.

"That's the biggest understatement that I've heard." Naruto yelled out.

"Naruto, sit down, and let's began class…. Now where did we leave off?"

"You and Sasuke were arguing about the code of chivalry."

"Oh, well the Duke told me to argue with Sasuke about the Code in my free time. So we actually have to study history this time. "

The rest of the class was lively; Jiraiya brought the history to life and made it more interesting. By time the bell rung, signaling the end of class, Sakura had decided she liked this teacher. The pain in her head had only receded for a short amount of time, so during the rest of her classes she had a hard time paying attention. By time the lunch bell rang, she was ready to go to sleep. She slumped in her seat on the bench beside Naruto. She winced as he reached up and touched the bump on her head. Naruto notice her wince of pain.

"Is your head hurting you?" He asked her, his voice filled with concern as the other boy's at the table turn to look at them.

"Hmm, yes, just a little…."

"Stop babying him, Naruto. I'm sure he can stand a little head pain." Sasuke murmured to Naruto, from the seat beside her. Sitting directly across from her was the prince; he stared at her, and then asked: "What happened to your head, Saku?"

"Well, um, you see your highness I just, um, fell down…uh…backward and injured my head…. Nothing serious."

The prince gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure that's how it happened?"

Sakura's temper flared. She was tempted to snap back a reply, when Naruto looked directly at the prince and said, "That's how he said it happened, then that's how it happened."

Sakura silently thanked Naruto as the bell rung the got up to go to their outside classes. He pulled her back when she went to follow the others to their next class. Sasuke who was standing next to Naruto asked her, "Why didn't you tell the Prince what really happened?"

"Well...I'm no tattle tell! Besides…"

"Besides?"

"Its not that I'm not grateful for your help with Orochimaru…It's…just I can fight my own battles, I don't want help." She turned and walked away from them to go to the practice courts for weapons training. Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, Naruto shrugged and they followed after her catching up to her.

The next few classes on weaponry were easy for her. Her teachers notice this and moved her to practice with the second and third year pages. Zabuza had her trained from the age of five with weapons by Iruka as he did with Haku. He had had her learn to read and write, solve math problems. 'Father, were you training me for this?' she wondered to her self. As her thoughts wondered she felt a hard blow on her hand when she failed to block the attack of the prince, her practice partner.

"Ow."

"Stop daydream, page! Get back in defense stance!" Lord Shoutou, one of the weapons instructors shouted to her.

"Sorry about that Saku, I thought you would block it, you blocked every other attack."

"It's not your fault; I should have been paying attention."

Sakura nodded her head to him as she to the defense stance and held the wooden staff in the defense holds. The Prince attacked her again and again.

"Saku, I know you lied about falling down and hitting your head, I didn't want to continue the conversation in front of the others so I waited till now, and so what really happened?"

"I told you your highness, I fell backwards."

The prince growled. " Is that so? Then maybe you did fall down…with help from a certain page." He made it more of a statement then question.

"I fell down, highness."

The prince glared at her for a few moments then suddenly smirked. "You just won't budge from that excuse, will you?"

"No, highness."

"My friends call me Neji, so call me Neji…"

"We are friends?"

"I think we are…"

"So we are then...Neji."

The weeks after that, things went nearly smoothly for Sakura. She began to join Neji and his group which included Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru, and Inari in their study group. Neji had invited her to come after he realized she was having trouble with the advanced math problems assigned to her.

The only annoyance was Orochimaru and Kabuto. They constantly picked on her during those weeks. Just little things like elbowing her, stepping on her feet and pinching her. They never dared to do anything in front of the other boys. One night in the sables after classes, everyone had left to clean up Sakura was the last one there, finishing clean the tact for her horse. She was about to leave when she was knocked backwards on to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, Leaflet."

Sakura felt her temper flare as she stared up at Orochimaru, whom, gratefully was alone. Kabuto was no where to be seen.

"Maybe ye should watch where ye be going." A male voice said form above them. Both of their heads shot up to look up at the male the voice belonged to. The man who had spoken was sitting on the rafters, his face was painted and his eyes were narrowed.

"Who are you?" Orochimaru growled.

"Kankuro, the Horse Master. Don't be picken on any youths in here; ye startle the horses….. And I don't like people startling the horses."

Orochimaru muttered something to her before leaving. Sakura stood up and brushed her self the dirt off of her clothes.

"Thanks for you're help, but I can handle my own fights."

"Oh aye, ye just be falling down and getting bruises because ye like them?"

Sakura blushed and stammered. "N-No."

"Ye know, ye should let him push ye around."

"I don't let him; he just does it, because he's bigger and stronger than I am …. I'll get him back when I get stronger."

"And how will ye be doing that?"

"I don't know yet…."

"Well hurry up and get stronger, I would love to see that snake get beat up."

"Hn."

"Ye best be hurrying up, or ye will miss dinner."

She nodded and left to go to the mess hall for dinner, her stomach growling the entire way up to the mess hall.

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"Hey Saku! I was wondering where you had gotten to." Naruto called to her when she entered the dinning hall. Saku quickly got her food and joined the boys at their table.


End file.
